Out on your bike
Out of the city, into the country: weekends and public holidays lure cyclists outdoors. These apps will help you find the best routes - to suit you, your bike and your requirements.
The bikes are ready to go, and you are looking forward to a sporty excursion into the countryside - alone, with a partner or as part of a group. Perhaps even with an ambitious training plan. Cycling apps can help you find the right route for every occasion. We have taken a closer look at some of them for you. The apps are available in the App Store and Play Store.
Komoot: cycle tours recommended by active route pioneers
Komoot has a wide range of international tours in its "collection". These ready-made routes are classified as suitable for cycling, racing or mountain-biking and include customised degrees of difficulty as well as detailed information about route conditions.
The tours are vividly described with impressive attention to local details and motivate cyclists to set off right away. They include five breezy racing tours in North Frisia, the 20 most attractive cycle tours around Brandenburg an der Havel and the picturesque "view of Dragon Rock" near Bonn. All tours can be managed using the "Save", "Send to smartphone" and "Adapt" functions. If you want to be a "pioneer" and share a route which you personally have cycled, Komoot easily lets you create your own profile with photos and a map. The app automatically counts how many followers you have. After installation, one region - such as Hamburg - is provided free of charge. A regional package containing several regions in the same area costs 8.99 EUR. The full global package is available for 29.99 EUR.
Naviki: route guide with voice function
Naviki is divided into everyday cycling, leisure tours, racing, mountain-biking and fast e-biking (up to 45 kilometres per hour). The cycle tours are organised into categories such as tourist routes or recreational trips. Users can record and share their routes in just one tab. Thousands of cycle tours are recorded on naviki.org and can be transferred to the app in just one click. Handy: the app's voice function - unfortunately only available for a fee (4.49 EUR) - will tell you where to go. This lets you focus on the route and the surroundings without being distracted by the display.
The free basic package can be used in all countries right away. A selection of the extras available for a fee: connect S-Pedelec route planning (5.49 EUR) or Bluetooth fitness devices (e.g. pulse monitors) (2.29 EUR).
Bike Citizens: cycle routes in and around the city
Bike Citizens was designed for cyclists in urban areas. The app provides information on city infrastructures, lists cycle boxes and public cycle self-service stations and keeps you up to date with news feeds. Interested users can become part of a community and let others access their routes using the "OpenStreetMap". All the routes recorded are displayed anonymously in "heatmaps" and used for urban planning purposes.
If you are out and about in Berlin on a racing bike, for example, the app will display routes that avoid treacherous tram rails; you can also choose to take tourist routes or quiet paths away from the city's hustle and bustle. The app is intended both for everyday cycling and day trips near the respective city. Use of the tour app and route planning function is free of charge for certain cities such as Hanover, Bremen and Graz. The full Bike Citizens app with more than 450 cities is available for a one-off payment of 19.99 EUR.
Cyclique: looking for cycle fans and new friends on every route!
The name says it all: Cyclique connects cyclists with the same interests - whatever their level! Users can join existing tours in their area or just create their own rides. You can even look for companions to join you on relaxed city excursions or breaks. This is where the cycle match function come in. How it works: users filter members by cycle type and performance level to find new people interested in joint tours. These can then easily be contacted by swiping right.
The free app includes personal stories, a cyclists' flea market and hints and tips from pros. Since September 2018, Komoot users (see above) have had the option of connecting their account with Cyclique, thus linking all Komoot routes with Cyclique. The app will then notify all cyclists in the area of the new tour and let you get started right away - with old friends or new acquaintances from the community.